How does a woman get lupus

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Is Lupus Contagious? Tips for Identification and Prevention

Lupus is thought to develop due to an interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers. Importantly, lupus is about nine times more common in women than in men. This increased susceptibility may be made possible, at least in part, due to differences related to hormones and sex chromosomes. However, to what extent these sex differences contribute to the development of lupus is largely unknown. The researchers hoped to learn about the degree to which sex-specific genetic differences contribute to the susceptibility to developing lupus.

They also investigated possible sex-related differences in levels of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies anti-dsDNA between men and women with lupus. Genetic samples were processed according to strict quality guidelines to determine the frequency of small but important changes in 18 known lupus susceptibility genes found on non-sex chromosomes portions of DNA in both men and women with and without lupus.

Based on differences from this analysis, including a subset of the genetic samples women and men with lupus , a genetic risk was calculated for the lupus patients in a sex-specific manner. Initial studies showed that changes in 10 of the 18 susceptibility genes in men and 15 of the 18 in women were found to be significantly different between lupus patients and healthy people.

Three of the 18 genes did not meet these criteria, were not associated with lupus in the current study, and were thus excluded from further analyses. Comparison of the frequency of changes in the 18 lupus susceptibility genes between men and women with lupus indicated that four of them differed significantly in a sex-specific fashion.

The HLA genes encode for proteins that are essential for proper functioning of the immune system and help to elicit powerful and specific immune responses. Interestingly, the frequency of the two HLA genes plus one of the non-HLA genes, IRF5, a gene involved in the interferon pathway which is important in the pathogenesis of lupus was significantly greater in men than in women with lupus.

Only one of the four genes of interest here, one of the non-HLA genes KIAA, a gene of unknown function , was significantly greater in frequency in women than in men.

Importantly, the frequency of these three genes did not differ between men and women without lupus. No significant sex-related differences were found in levels of anti-dsDNA between men and women with lupus. Further statistical comparisons showed that the frequency of changes in the four aforementioned lupus susceptibility genes were not associated with differences in disease severity using kidney involvement and decreased blood platelets as indicators of disease severity in men or women with lupus.

Comparisons of sex-specific differences in genetic risk showed that men with lupus require, on average, a greater cumulative genetic load of lupus-susceptibility genes than women in order to develop lupus. The study participants were all of European descent, so it is unknown whether the results are applicable to other populations of people with lupus. In addition, the current study did not address any environmental contributions to the development of lupus in the patients studied, nor a possible gender-specific difference in possible environmental contributions.

The results indicate that men need to inherit a greater number of lupus susceptibility genes than women in order to develop lupus. Since the genes analyzed in this study were only genes outside of the sex chromosomes, the findings suggest that sex differences in lupus susceptibility genes are at least partially related to factors beyond sex chromosomes and hormonal differences. These results help to explain, at least in part, why fewer men get lupus than women. Analysis of autosomal genes reveals gene-sex interactions and higher total genetic risk in men with systemic lupus erythematosus.

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What is lupus?

Experts think this autoimmune disease starts due to a combination of genes and the environment. Lupus affects nearly 1. It develops when your immune system misfires and attacks tissues like your joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, and heart.

E very year, 16, cases of lupus are reported in the United States — 9 out of 10 of them in women. But researchers said last week that they may now have one explanation for why exactly the presence of two X chromosomes increases the chances that a person will develop lupus.

Symptoms include inflammation, swelling, and damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs. In the United States, people report around 16, new cases of lupus each year, and up to 1. The Foundation say that lupus affects women in particular, and it is most likely to appear between the ages of 15 and 44 years. Lupus gained public attention in after the singer Selena Gomez announced she received a diagnosis in her late teens and underwent treatment for the condition. Lupus is not a contagious disease.

The Signs and Symptoms of Lupus

Back to Health A to Z. Systemic lupus erythematosus SLE — lupus — is a long-term condition causing inflammation to the joints, skin and other organs. There's no cure, but symptoms can improve if treatment starts early. Find out how to get medical help from home. The GP will usually do some blood tests. High levels of a type of antibody, combined with typical symptoms, means lupus is likely. You might be referred for X-rays and scans of your heart, kidney and other organs if your doctor thinks they might be affected. Once lupus is diagnosed, you'll be advised to have regular checks and tests, such as regular blood tests to check for anaemia and urine tests to check for kidney problems, which lupus can cause.

Lupus in Women

Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation, creates a wide range of signs and symptoms. The variety of symptoms that lupus can bring on can make it tough to spot. Another reason the disease can be difficult to identify is that some of its most common symptoms — such as fatigue, headaches, joint pain, swelling, and fever — occur in a lot of other illnesses, too. One common early symptom that can be indicative of lupus is a photosensitive rash, meaning a rash that develops in response to sun exposure, particularly on the face and upper arms, says Dr. Other early symptoms are unexplained fever and pain, swelling, and stiffness of multiple joints.

Lupus is thought to develop due to an interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers.

The immune system is the part of your body that normally helps fight off colds and infections. But, when it misbehaves, it can mistakenly attack your healthy body and make it sick. Groups of diseases that act in this way are called autoimmune diseases.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Lupus affects approximately 1. The symptoms of SLE [2,3] include:. Many women with SLE experience menstrual disturbances ranging from amenorrhoea to menorrhagia [4].

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLE typically affects females at far greater rates than males; however male SLE patients often have more severe disease than females. The gender disparities have been reported in clinical manifestations and in serological and hematological indices as well. In particular, SLE complicated with nephritis is more frequent in men than women, and several groups identified male gender as a risk factor for progression to renal failure. The specific differences in pathogenesis amongst genders have yet to be conclusively defined, though genetic, hormonal, and immune responses have been analyzed thus far. Further research is warranted to further elucidate these differences and permit the development of gender-tailored treatment regimens.

New study points to why so many more women develop lupus than men

Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems — including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms often mimic those of other ailments. The most distinctive sign of lupus — a facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks — occurs in many but not all cases of lupus. Some people are born with a tendency toward developing lupus, which may be triggered by infections, certain drugs or even sunlight. While there's no cure for lupus, treatments can help control symptoms.

Spouses of SLE patients did not have high serum IFN-α. Taken together, these data suggest that high serum IFN-α is a heritable risk factor for SLE [21].by CE Weckerle - ‎ - ‎Cited by - ‎Related articles.

People wonder why the body would attack itself, as is the case with lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.

Gender differences in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Picture this: a young woman visits her doctor with fatigue, achy joints and anemia. But nothing she tries makes her symptoms improve. She visits another doctor who tells her she has depression, a viral infection, chronic fatigue or a thyroid problem. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women: 9 out of 10 adults with lupus are women and most women who develop lupus are between the ages of 15 and

Lupus and women

The nature of lupus is highly individualized, and two patients may experience two sets of totally different symptoms. In the United States, lupus affects roughly 1 in people, and 9 out of 10 lupus cases occur in women. Although the disease occurs in people of all races and ethnic groups, it occurs more frequently in African Americans. The first symptoms of lupus usually occur somewhere between the teen years and the 30s and may be mild, severe, sporadic, or continual.